1. Germany’s surrender and Treaty of Versailles
End of WWI
Germany’s surrender and Treaty of Versailles

2. Discussion List 3 reasons America declared war on Germany in 1917.
How did Britain and Germany use their navies during WWI?
Why did Russia withdrawal from WWI?
WWI created an increasing desire for independence in many countries; including Russia, Turkey, the Baltic states, Canada (still a commonwealth), etc. Why do you think this is? How could a war create an aspiration for freedom?
Towards the end of WWI, the Allied powers begin to discuss plans for post-war Europe. Based on what you know about Wilson’s personal views, what do you think he wants for Europe post-war?

3. German Advances (1915 & 1916)

4. SHOW INTERACTIVE MAP. http://www. worldology
Key Events of 1915 & 1916:
Russian retreat
Allies invade Ottoman Empire
Armenian Genocide
Italy joins Allies
Stalemate on Western Front

8. SHOW INTERACTIVE MAP! Key Events of 1917:
Germany occupies countries in East
US joins the war
Russia begins to demobilize & negotiate end of war
Revolts and Allied advances continue in Ottoman Empire
Allied victories in the Balkans

9. What happened to Russia?
Military starts to fail as soldiers stop fighting and join the revolution
Russia cannot defend against German invasions
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk: March 3, 1918; Russia makes peace with Central Powers; loses territory of Poland, Finland, and Baltic states.
Effects: Economic downturn and worsening relations with Allied powers….. Why?

10. “The so-called Great Powers have long been exploiting and enslaving a whole number of small and weak nations. And the imperialist war is a war for the division and redivision of this kind of wealth.”

12. Opposition to Treaty
Lenin was in favor of signing the peace proposal immediately, even though the treaty took away territory that included 25% of the empire’s population, 25% of its industry and 90% of its coal mines
A majority of the Bolshevik Central Committee believed that Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire & Bulgaria were all on the verge of a revolution within their borders, so they should continue the war and wait for the spread of revolution.
Signing of the Treaty; representatives of the Central Powers on the left (Germany, A-H, OE, Bulgaria) and representatives of the Russian Bolsheviks on the right.

13. Opposition to the Treaty
Even though they lost territory and some Bolsheviks opposed it, why do you think Lenin agreed to it?
A quick peace was better than a continued war.

14. Towards the End of War British blockade was starving Germany
British began using tanks
American convoy system shut down U-boat attacks
Both sides fearful of revolutions in Europe
Allied powers launch huge offensive on August 8, 1918
American troops continued to advance, not giving Germans time to regroup

15. U.S. Convoy System
A convoy is a group of vehicles (usually motor vehicles or ships) traveling together for mutual support and protection.

20. Ending the War
The Central Powers began to collapse under constant Allied attacks.
Germany’s allies, Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire made peace with the Allied Powers.
Separate states began declaring their independence from Austria-Hungary.

22. End of WWI Germany surrenders - November 11, 1918
Germany’s leader steps down and establishes a provisional government

26. SHOW INTERACTIVE MAP!
Include effects of war and death tolls

27. End of WWI

28. Countries
Total Mobilized
Killed & Died
Wounded
Prisoners & Missing
Total Casualties
Casualties % Mobilized
Germany
11,000,000
1,773,700
4,216,058
1,152,800
7,142,558
64.9
Austria-Hungary
7,800,000
1,200,000
3,620,000
2,200,000
7,020,000
90.0
Turkey
2,850,000
325,000
400,000
250,000
975,000
34.2
Bulgaria
87,500
152,390
27,029
266,919
22.2
Total
22,850,000
3,386,200
8,388,448
3,629,829
15,404,477
67.4
Grand Total
65,038,810
8,538,315
21,219,452
7,750,919
37,508,686
57.6

29. Casualties % Mobilized
Countries
Total Mobilized
Killed & Died
Wounded
Prisoners & Missing
Total Casualties
Casualties % Mobilized
Russia
12,000,000
1,700,000
4,950,000
2,500,000
9,150,000
76.3
France
8,410,000
1,357,800
4,266,000
537,000
6,160,800
British Empire
8,904,467
908,371
2,090,212
191,652
3,190,235
35.8
Italy
5,615,000
650,000
947,000
600,000
2,197,000
39.1
United States
4,355,000
126,000
234,300
4,500
364,800
8.2
Serbia
707,343
45,000
133,148
152,958
331,106
46.8
Belgium
267,000
13,716
44,686
34,659
93,061
34.9
Total
42,188,810
5,152,115
12,831,004
4,121,090
22,104,209
52.3

30. Austro-Hungarians execute Serbians

31. Ypres, Belgium

38. French soldiers being gassed

40. Were you paying attention?
List five events that led to Germany’s surrender.

41. President Wilson strives for Peace
Fourteen Points: plan for post-war European Peace.
Called for an end to alliances
League of Nations: worldwide organization aimed at ensuring security and peace for all its members.
Wilson and the American peace commissioners

42. The Treaty of Versailles
The establishment of a permanent peace………. Or so they thought

43. Paris Peace Conference
Paris Peace Conference: January 1919; 27 nations
Having been defeated, Germany, Austria & Hungary were excluded
Russia formed their own peace with the Central Powers
Until March 1919, controlled by “Council of Ten:” leaders & foreign ministers from England, France, US, Italy & Japan
Most of Japan’s & Italy’s ideas were rejected, which left the “Big Three” to solidify agreements

44. The Big Three David Lloyd-George (Great Britain)
Georges Clemenceau (France)
David Lloyd-George (Great Britain)
Woodrow Wilson (US)

45. The Big “Four” at Versailles in 191945

46. Discussion
Make a prediction  What do the Allied countries want out of the Treaty?
Do you think all countries should have been included, even if they were on the losing side?

47. What did France Want? Security Revenge Reparations
Germany should pay for the damage caused by invasion!
Clemenceau wanted to make sure that Germany could not invade France in the future.

48. What did Britain Want?
Publically, Lloyd-George said he wanted to punish the Germans. The British public was very anti-German at the end of the war.
Privately, he realized that Britain needed Germany to recover because she was an important trading partner.
He was also worried about the “disease from the east”…….., communism. Lloyd-George believed that the spread of communism had to be stopped. A strong Germany would be a barrier against it.

49. What did America want?
Wilson wanted the treaty to be based on his 14 Points.
He believed Germany should be punished, but not severely. He wanted a fair settlement that would not leave Germany feeling resentful
Focus on future security
The American public & government did not support him. They were fed up with involvement in European affairs (leads to a period of isolationism)

50. Treaty of Versailles
On June 28, 1919 the Allied leaders signed the Treaty of Versailles.
Made up of 440 articles (15 sections)
Section I; Articles 1-26: Established the League of Nations
The remaining 414 articles were dedicated to punishing Germany

51. The War Guilt Clause: Article 231
"The Allied and Associated Governments affirm, and Germany accepts, the responsibility of Germany and her Allies for causing all the loss and damage to which the Allied and Associate Governments and their nationals have been subjected as a consequence of a war imposed upon them by the aggression of Germany and her Allies."
GERMANY ACCEPTED FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR STARTING THE WAR 51

52. Terms of the Treaty of Versailles
Legal restrictions
former German Emperor, Wilhelm II, is to be tried with war crimes
Establishment of Provisional Government
Reparations (payment for damages) - later fixed at 132 billion marks (~ $442 billion in 2013)
Territory restrictions
Loss of debated territories
created nine new countries out of the former Russian, German, and Austro-Hungarian territories.

53. Military Restrictions
Army reduced to 100,000 men
Prohibited to have tanks or poison gas.
No air force
The German navy was to have no submarines or large battle-ships
Import & export of weapons is prohibited
Manufacturing of rifles & machine guns was limited
The area known as the Rhineland was to be de-militarized.
The Allies were to occupy the debated territories for fifteen years.

54. Military Restrictions
Germany was forbidden to unite with Austria 54

55. Territory Restrictions55

56. Territory Restrictions56

57. Territory Restrictions
Germany lost all of her overseas colonies

58. Make a prediction…..
How do you think German citizens responded to the Treaty?
Most Germans believed that the War Guilt Clause was unjustified. The French and British had done just as much to start the war
The loss of territory and population angered most Germans who believed that the losses were too severe.
Many felt this would cripple the economy
How do you think Americans responded to the Treaty?

59. German Response
German protests outside the Reichstag

60. American Response
Wilson believed all nations should cooperate to achieve world peace
Afraid if Germany was punished too harshly, they may retaliate
Wilson’s plans for peace were rejected by Congress

61. Wilson’s personal advisor: Colonel Edward House said the following,
“I am leaving Paris, after eight fateful months, with conflicting emotions. Looking at the conference in retrospect, there is much to approve and yet much to regret. It is easy to say what should have been done, but more difficult to have found a way of doing it. To those who are saying that the treaty is bad and should never have been made and that it will involve Europe in infinite difficulties in its enforcement, I feel like admitting it. To create new boundaries is to create new troubles. The one follows the other. While I should have preferred a different peace, I doubt very much whether it could have been made, for the ingredients required for such a peace as I would have were lacking at Paris”
American Response

62. Why did the U.S. reject Wilson’s plans for peace???
At the peace conference in Versailles, the leaders did not accept many of his 14 points--especially France. Wilson was more concerned with preventing future conflicts and establishing lasting peace, France (and to a lesser extant, Britain) wanted to punish Germany.
Wilson realized he would have to compromise, so he prioritized the creation of the League of Nations, which they agreed on.
Then, when Wilson came back to the US to try to get the Senate to ratify the Treaty of Versailles, and join the League of Nations, he faced a lot of opposition from Republican senators.
Some, the Reservationists just opposed Article X of the League Covenant because they did not want the United States bound to enter wars, and these Reservationists would have passed the Treaty if Article X was amended. Others, called Irreconcilables were simply political opponents of Wilsons, and wouldn't have ever passed the treaty just because they didn't like Wilson.
There wasn't really back and forth with the Democratic congress. The Democrats supported Wilson, the problem was the Republican senators.